SHAH ALAM, Aug 10 — Local authorities (PBT) should respond to critical complaints lodged through social media within 12 to 24 hours, particularly those involving public safety.
Road safety and sustainable transport activist Shahrim Tamrin said the timeframe was reasonable to allow local authorities to verify complaints, determine their priority and identify the appropriate action.
"I would suggest a reasonable timeframe of between 12 and 24 hours. I do not expect the problem to be resolved within one or three hours of a complaint being lodged.
"The matter needs to be assessed and may require a specific team to resolve it. We do not want work to be done quickly at the expense of quality. Instead, we want work that is reasonable and of good quality," he told Media Selangor.
Shahrim also proposed that follow-up monitoring be conducted within 48 hours of repair work to ensure the same problem does not recur.
He said not every complaint on social media required immediate action, but issues that could affect public safety, such as potholes, trees at risk of falling, fallen cables and damaged drains, should be given appropriate attention.
He therefore proposed that local authorities establish a standard operating procedure (SOP) or specific mechanism to monitor and verify complaints on social media before channelling them to the relevant departments for action.
"Social media is certainly a suitable platform for the public to lodge complaints, but I understand that local authorities cannot respond to every complaint, and sometimes a complaint needs to be verified to determine whether it is genuine or relates to an old incident.
"There needs to be a mechanism or SOP to ensure the complaint is genuine and that there are clear follow-up steps," he said.
Shahrim said social media was increasingly becoming the public's preferred option because it was easier and faster, and should therefore be given due attention as a channel for complaints alongside the Public Complaints Management System (SISPAA), email and hotlines.
He also suggested that administrators of local authorities' official social media accounts provide an initial response acknowledging receipt of a complaint before updating complainants on subsequent action.
"If action can be taken within six or 12 hours, immediately inform the public about what has been done.
"For example, if a pothole has been repaired, show a photograph or video and inform the complainant that the issue has been resolved. Local authorities need to be proactive in cases considered emergencies or highly critical," he said.
Shahrim said such an approach was important to keep the public informed about the status of their complaints while strengthening communication between local authorities and the communities they serve.
"Everything is at our fingertips now. For critical matters, the public wants swift action or, at the very least, appropriate attention.
"I hope local authorities and state government agencies will step up efforts to engage more closely with the public through social media," he said.
During the tabling of the Second Selangor Plan (RS-2) motion at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly last Friday, Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari urged all local authorities to continue improving service delivery by taking every complaint and piece of feedback seriously, whether received through social media or official channels.
He said local authorities needed to be more proactive in addressing the challenges of urbanisation and meeting the needs of the people.
